Our Team
Mark and Susie Johnson are the founders and lead pastors of The Journey Church. Fueled by a passion to reach unchurched people, they began The Journey in 2007, creating an engaging community of faith where people can experience the life-giving message of Jesus. Mark and Susie have been married for 27 years and have two beautiful children, Madeline and Conner.
In addition to his role at The Journey, Mark leads Strategic Church Coaching, an organization that coaches pastors and leaders nationwide to maximize their potential for growth.
Outside of pouring his passion into ministry, Mark likes to ski, drive, boat, eat at great restaurants, and explore new places with his family. Also, he once climbed a mountain. (If you get a chance, ask him about that – he’s always happy to describe it.)
When it comes to our structure, here’s how we operate:
We are guided
by a Lead Team
Our Lead Team serves alongside Pastor Mark to grow our vision and provide spiritual leadership to staff and leaders. They oversee day-to-day ministry and operations of the church.
We are protected by
a Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees is made up of experienced volunteer leaders who provide financial, staffing, and legal advisement to our church. They ensure accountability in financial decisions while also providing the Lead Pastor with wisdom gained from their collective experience.
We are strengthened
by Overseers
Overseers are pastors of other respected churches from around the nation who love The Journey. They provide protection for our church and act as spiritual mentors to Pastor Mark. They may be called upon to help in accountability matters regarding our staff.
Mark Johnston
Lead PastorAbby Ecker
Next StepsPastor
Brad Dreibelbis
NextGen& Operations Pastor
Daryl Smith
HockessinLocation Pastor
Steve Miller
Code RedPastor
Andrea Beemler
Kids PastorJames Copeland
MiddletownLocation Pastor